Condiment packet holder for use with an automobile cupholder

Abstract

An improved condiment packet holder of molded plastic has a generally centrally located aperture sized and shaped: to receive along a first orientation a body of a first condiment packet having a first shape, and to suspend that first condiment packet by supporting, on first portions of the surface surrounding the aperture, at least end portions of a flange protruding at the top of the first condiment packet, and to receive in a second orientation transverse to the first orientation a body of a second condiment packet having a second shape different that the first shape, and to suspend that second condiment packet by supporting, on second portions of the surface surrounding the aperture, at least end portions of a flange protruding at the top of the second condiment packet.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A condiment packet holder for use in an automobile, the condiment packet holder comprising:
 a molded cylindrical body having an outer diameter of between 3.5 inches and 4.5 inches and including
 a peripheral rim, 
 a central floor offset from the peripheral rim and having a thickness of between 0.25 inches and 0.0625 inches, and 
 sloped sidewalls along at least part of a distance between the peripheral rim and the central floor, 
 
 wherein the central floor and at least part of the sloped sidewalls are sized and shaped to be received within a recess in an automobile cup-holder insert; and 
 a cross-shaped aperture through the central floor, the cross-shaped aperture having first and second opposing arms oriented along a first direction and third and fourth opposing arms oriented along a second direction transverse to the first direction, 
 wherein the first and second opposing arms are configured to receive portions of a first condiment packet having a first peripheral shape and the third and fourth opposing arms are configured to receive portions of a second condiment packet having a second peripheral shape different than the first peripheral shape. 
 
     
     
       2. The condiment packet holder according to  claim 1 , wherein the first arm is tapered. 
     
     
       3. The condiment packet holder according to  claim 2 , wherein the second arm has an arcuate end. 
     
     
       4. The condiment packet holder according to  claim 1 , wherein the second peripheral shape is generally rectangular. 
     
     
       5. The condiment packet holder according to  claim 4 , wherein the generally rectangular peripheral shape includes at least one clipped corner. 
     
     
       6. The condiment packet holder according to  claim 1 , wherein ends of the first and second opposing arms are separated by a distance corresponding to a length of the first condiment packet and ends of the third and fourth opposing arms are separated by a distance corresponding to a length of the second condiment packet, and wherein the first and second opposing arms each have widths corresponding to a width of the first condiment packet and the third and fourth opposing arms each have widths corresponding to a width of the second condiment packet. 
     
     
       7. A condiment packet holder for use in an automobile, the condiment packet holder comprising:
 a molded body having a thickness of between 0.25 inches and 0.0625 inches, wherein the molded body includes a cylindrical portion having an outer diameter of between 3.5 inches and 4.5 inches, a protruding rim at a top of the molded body, and a central portion offset from the protruding rim, wherein the cylindrical portion configured to be received by an automobile cup-holder and supported by a portion of the automobile cup-holder insert around at least a portion of a periphery of the molded body by at least one of sloped sidewalls of the molded body and the protruding rim; and 
 a cross-shaped aperture through the central portion of the molded body, the aperture having first and second opposing arms oriented along a first direction and third and fourth opposing arms oriented along a second direction transverse to the first direction, wherein the first and second opposing arms are configured to receive portions of a first condiment packet and the third and fourth opposing arms are configured to receive portions of a second condiment packet having a different peripheral shape than the first condiment packet. 
 
     
     
       8. The condiment packet holder according to  claim 7 , wherein edges of the first arm are tapered and a corner of the third arm is clipped. 
     
     
       9. The condiment packet holder according to  claim 7 , wherein a corner of the third arm is clipped. 
     
     
       10. The condiment packet holder according to  claim 7 , wherein the central portion of the molded body includes a disk-shaped floor at an end of the sloped sidewalls opposite the protruding rim, wherein the floor includes the cross-shaped aperture. 
     
     
       11. The condiment packet holder according to  claim 7 , wherein the first and second opposing arms are keyed, except for a central region at which all of the first, second, third and fourth opposing arms terminate, to a periphery of the first condiment packet, and wherein the third and fourth opposing arms are keyed, except for the central region, to a periphery of the second condiment packet. 
     
     
       12. The condiment packet holder according to  claim 7 , wherein ends of the first and second opposing arms are separated by a distance corresponding to a length of the first condiment packet and ends of the third and fourth opposing arms are separated by a distance corresponding to a length of the second condiment packet. 
     
     
       13. The condiment packet holder according to  claim 7 , wherein the first and second opposing arms each have widths corresponding to a peripheral shape of the first condiment packet and the third and fourth opposing arms each have widths corresponding to the peripheral shape of the second condiment packet. 
     
     
       14. The condiment packet holder according to  claim 7 , wherein the body is formed of molded plastic. 
     
     
       15. A condiment packet holder for use in an automobile, the condiment packet holder comprising:
 a molded cylindrical body having an outer diameter of between 3.5 inches and 4.5 inches and including
 a peripheral rim, 
 a central floor offset from the peripheral rim and having a thickness of between 0.25 inches and 0.0625 inches, and 
 sloped sidewalls along at least part of a distance between the peripheral rim and the central floor, 
 
 wherein the central floor and at least part of the sloped sidewalls are sized and shaped to be received within a recess in an automobile cup-holder insert, and wherein the peripheral rim is sized and shaped to support the molded cylindrical body above a bottom of the automobile cup-holder insert by contact with a rim of the automobile cup-holder insert; and 
 a cross-shaped aperture through the central floor, the cross-shaped aperture having first and second opposing arms oriented along a first direction and third and fourth opposing arms oriented along a second direction transverse to the first direction, 
 wherein the first and second opposing arms are configured to receive portions of a first condiment packet having a first peripheral shape and the third and fourth opposing arms are configured to receive portions of a second condiment packet having a second peripheral shape different than the first peripheral shape. 
 
     
     
       16. The condiment packet holder according to  claim 15 , wherein the first arm is tapered and the second arm has an arcuate end. 
     
     
       17. The condiment packet holder according to  claim 15 , wherein the first and second opposing arms of the cross-shaped aperture are keyed to the first peripheral shape. 
     
     
       18. The condiment packet holder according to  claim 17 , wherein the first peripheral shape is generally rectangular. 
     
     
       19. The condiment packet holder according to  claim 18 , wherein the generally rectangular peripheral shape includes at least one clipped corner. 
     
     
       20. The condiment packet holder according to  claim 15 , wherein ends of the first and second opposing arms are separated by a distance corresponding to a length of the first condiment packet and ends of the third and fourth opposing arms are separated by a distance corresponding to a length of the second condiment packet, and wherein the first and second opposing arms each have widths corresponding to a width of the first condiment packet and the third and fourth opposing arms each have widths corresponding to a width of the second condiment packet.